The Hobbit: Saoirse Ronan (pictured right) has joined the cast, at this time Ronan’s part is still unknown. Ronan starred in 2007′s Atonement, for which she was nominated for a including a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. She starred in The Lovely Bones for Jackson. She has a badass movie coming out called Hanna [trailer etc here] that hits in April.
Bond 23: Not a big surprise here, Judi Dench will reprise her role as M in the upcoming untitled Bond 23. Dench announced the news at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards in London last night. Dench has appeared in every film since GoldenEye making her casting one of the longer lasting performances in the Bond franchise. Bernard Lee starred as the original M (Dr. No through Moonraker). Robert Brown appeared in four (Octopussy through License to Kill). Bond 23 is expected to begin production soon and has a release date of November 9, 2012.
The Dark Tower: 2011 Oscar nominee Javier Bardem (Biutiful) has been offered the role of Roland Deschain, the lead in Ron Howard’s upcoming adaptation of the Stephen King series The Dark Tower.
The adaptation of King’s seven-novel Dark Tower series sounds like it’s being taken very seriously with a combination of film and television to get the story to people. The series will begin with a feature film, then transition into a TV component (likely a six-part miniseries) that will bridge the gap to a second film. Bardem is expected to star in those three elements. However, the fourth piece, another TV segment, will focus on Deschain as a young man and will require a new actor. The third feature will complete the series with the original cast. Are you lost yet?
J. Edgar: Naomi Watts has joined the cast of Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar, a biopic about FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and the birth of the government organization.
Watts will play Helen Gandy, reports Deadline, Hoover’s personal secretary for over 54 years. The film already cast Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer (The Social Network), who plays Hoover’s implied lover, Clyde Tolson. Josh Lucas recently landed the part of aviator Charles Lindbergh, whose high-profile infant kidnapping case opens the doors for the expansion of Hoover’s power. Judi Dench will play Hoover’s mother, who serves as a constant, prominent influence on his life.
Tags: casting news
